A rampant year lies ahead, with a change of atmosphere thereafter, so maximise your good fortune. Your passions, whether romantically, creatively or idealistically inclined, should be your guiding principle, and will pay you back as well as calculating pragmatism. Early October, Christmas and the spring equinox are particularly lucky and eventful. Birthdays on Saturday - a full Moon - have fulfilled one cycle. Embrace change gladly. Happy returns.

Cancer 21 Jun-22 Jul: Take a note of any new faces you encounter this weekend, at least some of them are likely to stay in your realm for a lengthy spell. Then it's onwards into the bold new dawn (or whatever time you get up), with that 'first day of the rest of your life' feeling ('rest of the month', perhaps). Good week for fiscal wheeler-dealing, sibbling non rivalry, and, of course, materialising that dream.

Leo 23 Jul-22 Aug: Given that you like parading your talents, hailing kindred spirits loudly, and putting a flea in the occasional ear, this is definitely your week. The Sun's arrival in your sign on Thursday further boosts your swagger factor (bigger hair! Louder clothes!). There is a tiny downside (apart from regal boorishness) - keep note of your transactions from Wednesday, when Mercury enters its confusion zone.

Virgo 23 Aug-22 Sep: Even if you are an educationalist demob happy from that 'school's out' moment, keep a discerning eye on your professional prospects. Benefic planets this week and next bring an end to months of uncertainty and an auspicious money moment. With the midweek's sliver of new Moon joining Jupiter, you can also get lucky on a more intimate level. That old shrinking violet act Virgos are so fond of won't do the trick, though. Show out.

Libra 23 Sep-23 Oct: There are moments in the life of any moody Libran (the most common variety) when you feel like slinging in the towel and going off for a sulk and a spritzer. You'll do better by sticking to your professional guns. It's debatable how well work and pleasure mix right now - get gimlet-eyed with the first and hot with the second, especially next weekend, when the Scales tilt again. Moodswings? You?

Scorpio 24 Oct-21 Nov: As the Sun is atop your solar chart, the place to be is, uh, at the top of the charts - any one you can manage will do fine. As this is a potentially hot-tempered moment - it's that damn red mist descending from Mars again - your intellect is probably more reliable than your emotional radar. That secretive Scorpio attitude is certainly no use at all - better to be upfront than uptight.

Sagittarius 22 Nov-21 Dec: A change of atmosphere is due once the Sun reaches fellow fiery Leo on Thursday to lighten your mood. This is likewise a date when inconclusive relationship issues from recent weeks start to click into place. You can translate that as having your fill of old pals and old flames, or as the resolution of a protracted romantic set-to. The astrology doesn't spell either make-up or break-up, just that honesty is the best policy.

Capricorn 22 Dec-19 Jan: The weekend's new Moon promised a better deal from your partnerships - or perhaps a new face if you're a solo act - and once the Sun has moved out of your eyes on Thursday, the main thing you have to worry about is the hazy state of your finances. It's just a rotten rumour that Caps are a bunch of tightwads, but you do notice when you're down to your last million. Time to check.

Aquarius 20 Jan-19 Feb: Your 'scope is treading that thin and fabled line between love and hate. Or perhaps infatuation and irritation is closer to the mark. Or attracted and knocked back. You get the idea. Since Venus and Mars are marching in step for several weeks yet, the condition appears to be ongoing. The cure for the irritation is negotiation with the other party. And the infatuation? As the poet said, there ain't no cure for love.

Pisces 20 Feb-20 Mar: Single? Relationships that began over the weekend have a touch of kismet about them. The rest of this week looks promising as well, for the footloose and partnered. For those of you pining for a new or improved home, prevarication time is drawing to a close. Choose the colour, get out the stepladder, charm the estate agent (only Pisceans can do this), but make it happen.

Aries 21 Mar-19 Apr: It's adventure time with Mars. Even those of you who are up to here in ongoing domestic trauma (aka Saturn in your fourth house) have to find a way to bust loose and let off steam. Rock climbing, amateur dramatics, a pair of flashing goggles for the dance floor - it's your choice, as long as you are in the lead role and people don't simply ignore you. Romance? Go, killer, go.

Taurus 20 Apr-20 May: Those of you who are what the advertising industry calls 'creatives' (non-drones) should currently be in full flow. Think of love as a creative act (there is often an end result, after all) and that should put most other Bulls in the frame. In a Venus-Jupiter week like this, it's about inspiration and indulgence, eating out, and staying away from the homestead, which looks pretty noisy.

Gemini 21 May-20 Jun: Call it charm, call it the gift of the gab, call it serendipity or downright deviousness, but you can currently get your way without really trying. Since nothing lasts forever (certainly not in a horoscope), make the most of your gilded patch. As your tricksy ruler, Mercury, enters its contrary zone on Thursday, be careful what you promise and agree to. You'll be revisiting your deal in a few short weeks.